Though I've been staunchly holding on to my iPod Mini for the last two years, partly in protest against Apple discontinuing the arguably superior line, I must admit the upcoming second generation Nano is looking VERY tempting.   All the annemities of the Nano -- color screen, better sound fidelity, small form factor, and flash-based memory -- now combined with the Mini's aluminum coating, better battery life (24 hours, even!), and (yes!) 8 GB capacity.

At $250, I wonder which is more deserving of my cash this holiday season: Nano or Wii?

iLounge's review of the 2G Nano

I'd say Wii, but I don't think it matters---you'll end up with both anyway, right?

Heh, of course she will
The question is, which will get more playtime?

cheers,

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It lacks video.  I was considering getting an iPod, but have not yet really shopped for one.  The review claims that you can get a 30GB iPod with video for the same price as an 8GB Nano---why would you go with the Nano?

Well, it's smaller, hence easier to carry.  I also think that the Nano uses flash memory while the 30GB ipod does not.

cheers,

-avatar!

Say, ye asked me a question very similar to this one in this thread.  Remember?

I was hoping you'd have good reason this time though.  = P  Especially since I was considering buying one, but have been really hesitant considering their price and all.

Speaking of which, if the thing doesn't use flash then the video iPods have small hard drives inside?

That reminds me, I wonder how well the GB micro did?  Personally, I see no reason why anyone would want any Nintendo handheld other than the DS?  Although I suppose the GBA can play original Gameboy games which the DS can not.

cheers,

-avatar!

I'd recommend thinking of getting a Creative Zen instead of an iPod. Creative's mp3 players are widely considered at least as good as iPods (if not better), and I probably have to agree on that (though I haven't got so much first-hand experience). They might not be as flashy as iPods, but they really seem to be worth the (lower!) price.

But...! Just imagine how easy it would be to slide that tiny baby onto your tongue, and.... eh, forget it.

In all seriousness, comparatively the 30 GB is definitely the better player to go with, as far as getting more bang for your buck.  Myself, yeah, I'm going with the Nano largely for the aesthetic factor.  The 6 GB Mini has been just about sufficient for my on-the-go music needs, so the Nano's lower GB count doesn't bother me so. (But I certainly welcome the extra two offered on this here new model.)  The video function, though nice to have, isn't something I'm likely to use often, and the more durable flash memory is an added plus, considering I use my mp3 players mostly for running and power walking sessions.  I like the proposed twenty four hour battery life over the 30 GB Video's fourteen as well.

As for Zen vs Pod, it's been in my experience that while I definitely like the Zens (and Creative's players in general) for their better sound quality, the Pod still wins for overall ease of use.  The iPod's click wheel is far more intuitive than the Zen's touch pad, and creating and organizing playlists is a total snap with iTunes.

I myself would be interested in seeing the overall sales numbers for the GB Micro.  It's to my limited knowledge that it sold pretty briskly during last year's holiday season, but eventually began to taper off with the advent of the DS Lite.  I have heard it does seem to sell marginally better than the GBA or GBA SP in Japan. 

I wonder, though, just how well it flew as far as being coined as a "fashion" item?

Thanks, Kim and Angela.  I'd need to actually use a Zen to see what it is like.  The one thing the video feature interests me would be to watch shows (like Daily Show or Colbert) inbetween classes.

Because the GBA SP has a godliness that can't be beat, it got everything right IMO. I regret trading in my SP to put money towards a DS, mostly because of how long I had it and just because it is amazing machine. Don't ask me to explain why I love it so much, it just feels right.

Ryu, you just became my new friend.

Have you considered a Shuffle? I have both a full size 30 GB 5th Gen and a 512 MB Shuffle I picked up a little while ago and I'd say I use both equally (the 5th Gen at work and when I need all of the tag information, the Shuffle when I'm doing stuff and when I want to hook it to a set of speakers...the difference between it and the 5th Gen is incredible, in favor of the Shuffle). It's impressive sound for such a miniscule thing (I just throw it in with the same baggy I keep my headphones in) and for such a cheap price, I find it holds all the music I generally need in a single day/sitting between charges/fill-ups.

Only hard drawback of the Shuffle is there's no support for AAC (which I've seen elsewhere on the net that it does...Believe me, it doesn't support it. Or at least not 128).

I ultimately decided to sell my soul to Apple instead of Creative simply because no one in the local area carried Zen players and I wanted to make sure I could make good on an extended warranty down the line. But I looked pretty hard before settling on the 5th Gen. I haven't been enthusiastic about the Nano because of the price-GB factor, despite the coolness factor, plus the Shuffle I don't have to worry about putting holes in the screen.

The Shuffle gives you no control over what plays though, but I have considered it.

Zaggart, thanks.  TDS/CR fan or for some other reason?

The fact that one of my friends had the hard drive fail in three ipods over the past couple years was reason enough for me to get a flash based Nano instead of any of the ipods that have moving hard drives inside.

Also, I wish the Nano I got had the aluminum casing - mine is sooo scratched already and I'm SUPER careful with it. 

Not really...You just can't see what's playing. If you want, you can arrange tracks in iTunes to play in the order you want, then play them without randomizing with the switch in the back (so I can load up an album in order then have it played in that order). You can still skip tracks. I always randomize my 30GB anyway, so it wasn't that different for me.

Joe: That's why I have a 3 year extended warranty on my 30GB. I don't expect more than 2 years out of it, though in 7 months of obsessive usage, I've had no problems with mine. Figure if it's still working after 2 and a half years, I'll just drop it and then cash in on a new one.

I've actually met more people with prolematic Nanos than HD players...They played, but in both cases, the screens were stuck between displays.

I have no firsthand experience with any iPods, but I do own a Creative Zen Nano Plus (1gb), and it is awesome. I don't know how easy it is to work an iPod (I got confused trying to use my sister's Mini one time), but the Zen Nano Plus is extremely easy to pick up. To me, the interface is as intuitive and you can get. It supports directory structures (haven't tried more than one folder deep) and can shuffle a folder or the entire library. The Plus version also has an FM radio, a voice recorder, and the ability to directly record to mp3 from a cd through a line-in jack.

I should also mention the battery life is ridiculous. I listen to mine almost every night and have only had to change the one AAA battery 3 times since I got it 4 months ago. I also use a rechargable AAA, so that rules.

It plugs into your computer with a USB cable and Windows automatically mounts it as a removable hard drive. No need for iTunes or any other stupid software.

And I got mine for $60.

The only thing I wish I had is some kind of device that would allow me to listen to my Zen Nano in the car over the radio. Though I haven't cared enough to research it, ha.

Yep, I like Daily Show, but I LOVE the Report. Colbert is a genius.